Kenneth A. Gravois

Effect of tissue culture explant source on sugarcane yield components

Clonal propagation of sugarcane(interspecific hybrids of Saccharum)is conducive to spread of systemicdiseases, such as ratoon stunting disease,caused by Leifsonia xyli subsp. xyli. This important disease iscontrolled by obtaining and plantinghealthy seed-cane. In Louisiana, commercialseed-cane initially produced through tissueculture is available to sugarcane farmersand is being widely planted. Long-termacceptability of this seed-cane productionmethod depends on the production of healthyplants that do not differ significantly inphenotypic and yield characteristics fromthe clones originally selected and releasedas commercial cultivars. To determinewhether tissue culture affects yield or itscomponents, three cultivars, CP 70-321, LCP85-384, and HoCP 85-845, were compared inthree successive crops initially plantedwith stalks from three sources: plantsderived from callus culture of the leafroll above the apical meristem, directregeneration from the apical meristem, andconventional bud propagation. Stalks ofplants derived from both explant sourceswere typical of seed-cane farmers wouldpurchase for planting that had beenpreviously rogued for phenotypic variantsand increased by bud propagation.Differences in yield components amongtissue culture explant sources and budpropagated cane only occurred in CP 70-321.Stalk diameter and stalk weight were lowerand stalk population was higher for plantsderived from leaf roll callus compared tobud propagated cane. Yield components weresimilar for plants derived from an apicalmeristem and bud propagation. Individualplant phenotypic variants resulting fromsomaclonal variation were not observed inany of the cultivars derived from eitherexplant source. In summary, genotype andexplant source affected persistent, uniformphenotypic variation resulting from tissueculture that changed some yield components. However, apical meristem culture wassuitable for production of seed-cane, assugarcane derived by meristem culture ofthree cultivars did not differsignificantly from the original germplasmfor any measured yield trait.

Seeding date effects on rough rice yield and head rice and selection for stability

The rice (Oryza sativa L.) crop in Arkansas is seeded from late March through early June each year. Farmers need new rice cultivars that not only produce both high rough rice yields and high head rice across this range of seeding dates but do so consistently. Thus, a seeding date study was conducted during 1994 and 1995 at Stuttgart, Arkansas, to study seeding date effects on rough rice yield and head rice and selection for stability. Fourteen rice cultivars were seeded at five dates ranging from late March through mid-June. Kangs yield-stability statistic was used to select cultivars for both high rough rice yields and high head rice as well as stability for both traits. Plant stands from March seedings of each year were significantly lower than for the later seeding dates. Maturity (days to 50 percent heading) was extended at the early seeding dates. Some rice cultivars, such as ‘LaGrue’, had lower and more variable head rice when seeded early. In the June seeding dates each year, ‘Kaybonnet’ produced rough rice yields that were more consistent with yields when planted at the earlier planting dates. ‘Bengal’, ‘Cypress’, ‘Kaybonnet’, and ‘Newbonnet’ were cultivars selected by Kangs stability statistic, which was targeted to select cultivars with stable, high rough rice yields and stable, high head rice. The validity of using Kangs yield-stability statistic for cultivar selection is also evident empirically by the adaptation and wide use of these four cultivars by southern U.S. rice producers. These results indicate that seeding date studies and stability analyses would be useful tools for rice breeders to identify cultivars that will be readily adapted and grown by rice producers.

Feedstock Crop Production Costs and Biofuel Feedstock Input Costs Associated with the Production of Energy Cane and Sweet Sorghum in the Southeastern USA

Concentration of biofuel feedstock crop production in specific regions of the USA is dependent on the relative comparative advantage of production in a specific region based on several agronomic and economic factors. For the southeastern region of the USA, energy cane and sweet sorghum have been identified as two feedstock crops with the greatest potential for further development of production. This study utilized field trial data from yield studies in Louisiana to develop estimates of feedstock crop production costs and biofuel feedstock input costs for these two crops. Results indicated that feedstock production costs on a harvest yield basis, as well as the related dry matter basis, were heavily dependent on yield level. Economic research from this study indicated that energy cane had a slight cost advantage compared with sweet sorghum, although production of sorghum in certain periods during the growing season was very cost competitive with energy cane.